Rear Admiral (JAGC) Charles E. McDowell was commissioned an Infantry Officer upon graduation from Officer Candidate School Class 14th Company, 29 November 1944. His first duty assignment was as a Rifle Platoon Leader, 3rd Platoon, Company A, 27th Armored Infantry Battalion, 9th Armored Division, France, Belgium and Germany. | His subsequent duty assignments include: Rifle Platoon Leader, Company K, 121st Infantry Regiment, 8th Infantry Division, Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri; Reconnaissance Platoon Leader, Headquarters Company, 38th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry division, Camp Swift, Texas; Platoon Leader, Company M, 304th Infantry Regiment, 76th Infantry Division, Manchester, New Hampshire. | McDowell was later commissioned as a Lieutenant (Junior Grade), Line (Legal Specialist), in the U.S. Navy, 20 March 1951. His first duty assignment was as a Legal Specialist, District Legal Office, 12th Naval District, San Francisco, California. | His major duty assignments include: Special Assistant to the Judge Advocate General, Department of the Navy, Washington, D.C.; Division Head, International Law Division, Naval War College, Newport, Rhode Island; Staff Legal Officer, Seventh United States Fleet, Yokosuka, Japan; Senior Navy Member, DOD, Ad Hoc Committee to Rewrite the Manual for Courts Martial, Washington, D.C.; Staff Judge Advocate, U.S. Naval Forces Europe, London, England; Commanding Officer, Naval Justice School, Newport, Rhode Island; Deputy Judge Advocate General of the Navy, Department of the Navy, Washington, D.C.; Judge Advocate General of the Navy, Department of the Navy, Washington, D.C. | His military awards and decorations include: Combat Infantryman Badge, Navy Distinguished Service Medal, Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart Medal, Joint Service Commendation Medal, Navy Commendation Medal with “V” and Gold Star, Distinguished Unit Citation, Navy Unit Commendation, Republic of Vietnam Navy Distinguished Service Order 2nd Class, American Campaign Medal, European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with 2 Bronze Service Stars, World War II Victory Medal, Army of Occupation Service Medal with Germany clasp, National Defense Service Medal with 1 Bronze Service Star, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (Korea), Vietnam Service Medal with 1 Silver Service Star, Vietnam Campaign Medal.